Detroit’s buried ghost waters revisited

Buried waterways still flow under the busy traffic grid of what is now downtown Detroit, and Matrix Theatre Company brings one back to the surface on June 25 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. as it presents the River Resurgence Pageant as part of the U.S. Social Forum. The pageant includes a parade with more than 100 participants who will follow the old Savoyard River’s path; and street theatre enactments help depict the past, present and future of Detroit’s rich ecosystem. To learn more about the project, or to find out how to participate in this exciting event, call the Theatre at 313-967-0999.

The pageant’s dancers, actors and puppets will stroll along the Detroit River’s waterfront carrying puppets representing fish, frogs and fowl unique to this region. Dancing and singing their way along the streets of Detroit, they will depict the ebb and flow of the River. A collaboratively-created monster dragon portraying the evils of pollution will join the group as it slithers its way along the route. Special performances will depict the coming of European settlers and the River’s eventual transformation into a sewer running below the city’s streets, where it remains today. The skits end on a high note showing a bright future for Detroit and its residents who live among the world’s most abundant fresh water supply.

The River Resurgence Pageant is part of Ghost Waters, a three-year project designed to re-imagine the rivers, marshes and ponds buried beneath downtown Detroit’s urban structures such as Cobo Hall, Comerica Park and Michigan Central Train Depot. Funded in part by The Erb Family Foundation, The Kresge Community Arts Foundation, and The Skillman Foundation, the project allows participants to learn about Detroit’s water history by engaging in specially-designed field trips, workshops and communal education activities. From these are created artistic stories, student showcases, workshops, street art and theatre pageants highlighting not only Detroit’s water history, but the importance of recycling, water-consciousness, water’s relevance to sustainability and the right of every human being to have access to clean running water.

Those interested in joining the near 100-person team that will make up the puppet river, its caretakers, inhabitants and buriers, contact Matrix Volunteer Coordinator Ken Srdjak at 313-967-0999, ksrdjak@matrixtheatre.org, or show up at Cobo Hall at 9:30 a.m. on June 25, 2010. Wear blue is you can! 

Matrix Theatre Company is a non-profit community-based theatre located in Southwest Detroit. Established in 1991, Matrix creates everything from scratch, from puppets of all sizes to over 90 original plays. Matrix Theatre Company uses the transformative power of theatre to change lives, build community and foster social justice. It creates opportunities for children, youth, adults and elders, especially those in isolated or challenged communities, to become creators, producers and audiences of original theatre. For further information or to follow Matrix on Facebook, Twitter and Blogger, go to matrixtheatre.org.

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What: Event: River Resurgence Pageant
Synopsis: The Savoyard River rises again with a parade of more than 100 people. The event is part of GhostWaters and U.S. Social Forum.

Where: Address: Downtown Detroit
Begins in front of Cobo Hall at the River
Tickets: Free and open to the public

When: June 25, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Matrix develops young actors & writers - Summer Camp starts in July

Matrix Theatre Company’s Summer Creativity Camp returns in July 2010. Theatre professionals from Matrix’s School of Theatre bring environmental education and the transformative power of theatre to local youths ages eight to 18. Located at 2730 Bagley in Southwest Detroit’s Mexicantown, Matrix’s summer camps stress creativity, collaboration and community. Sessions focus on acting, puppetry and playwrighting, and field trips are planned. Each camp concludes with a showcase performance, where family and friends are welcome to share in the realization of the original works created. 

Three Creativity Camps will run between July 6 and August 6, for three age groups. They are:

From the Ground Up, for ages eight to 11: As part of the Matrix “Ghostwaters” project, students will use theatre and puppetry to learn about the wildlife that inhabits the waters of Detroit. Young artists will explore acting on an introductory level with emphasis on stage presence and character work. They will also learn the basics of puppet construction as they build hand and rod puppets.

The Environment and Me, for ages 11 to 14: Young artists discover how personal choices and actions affect the environment. Through improvisational writing and performance exercises the class will create a script about preserving our natural resources one person at a time, one decision at a time.

Better World, Better Me, ages 14 to 18: Teen artists will have the opportunity to develop a new play based on a pressing environmental issue of their choice. With mentoring in workshops on acting, poetry, dance and music, students will develop and present an original theatrical work. This work will be professionally performed at Matrix Theatre. The students will also have the opportunity to learn the technical aspects of live theatre. A field trip to an outdoor high/low ropes course will help to encourage students to conquer fears and work together, while a creativity-intensive weekend camping trip will bring them into nature.

For information on Matrix Theatre’s Summer Camps, or to register, please call 313-967-0999.

Matrix Theatre Company is a non-profit community-based theatre located in Southwest Detroit. Established in 1991, Matrix creates everything from scratch, from puppets of all sizes to over 90 original plays. Matrix Theatre Company uses the transformative power of theatre to change lives, build community and foster

social justice. It creates opportunities for children, youth, adults and elders, especially those in isolated or challenged communities, to become creators, producers and audiences of original theatre. For further information or to follow Matrix on Facebook, Twitter and Blogger, go to matrixtheatre.org.

Information:

Camps: From the Ground Up - Ages 8-11
Dates: July 6-9 and 12-16 (Matrix will be closed on Monday July 5. This camp will begin July 6)
Camp Hours: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Cost: $150
As part of Matrix’s Ghostwaters project, students in this camp will use theatre and puppetry to learn about the animals that inhabit the waters of their city. These young artists will explore acting on an introductory level, with emphasis on stage presence and character work. Additionally, they will learn the basics of puppet construction as they build hand and rod puppets, and prepare a performance for their last day of camp.

The Environment and Me - Ages 11-14
Dates: August 2-6
Camp Hours: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Cost: $100
Young artists will discover how their own personal choices and actions affect our environment. Students will develop a script through improvisation exercises that deals with realizing everyone's personal contribution to preserving our resources. Their original play will be presented August 6. 

Better World, Better Me - Ages 14-18
Dates: July 19-23, 24-25 (camping trip at Lael in Lapeer), 27-30
Camp Hours: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Cost: $125
Teen artists will have the chance to develop a new play based on a pressing environmental issue of their choice. Over the course of two weeks, they will have workshops in acting, poetry, dance and music, all of which will be used to develop an original piece of theatre. A field trip to an outdoor high/low ropes course encourages students to conquer fears and work together, while an intensive weekend trip to a camp will bring them into nature as they prepare for their performance on July 30. Participants will also perform their new play at the Detroit Zoo in August.

All camps held at Matrix Theatre Company, 2730 Bagley, Detroit, MI 48216. Students need to bring a lunch each day. Healthy snacks will be provided by Matrix. Scholarships are available. Call 313-967-0999 for more information. Discounts are available for families with more than one student attending the same camp. Childcare is not available before or after camp hours.

Ghost Waters: Matrix explores Detroit’s hidden waterways

Imagine downtown Detroit as a fertile paradise, as it existed long before industry came. Ghost Waters is Matrix Theatre Company’s three-year education, arts and awareness project which explores the ponds, marshes and rivers now hidden beneath downtown. Ghost Waters can be found where now sits Cobo Hall, Comerica Park and the Michigan Central Depot. What was lost in these places will be brought back to life through artistic stories, communal education activities, field trips, student showcases, workshops, street art and theatre pageants, all centered on water: its history, its present, and its role in the destiny of Detroit and Southeast Michigan. 

Ghost Waters’ next public event is the Water Fest, on Saturday, May 15, 2010 from 11am to 3pm outdoors at Matrix Theatre Company. Matrix is located at 2730 Bagley in Detroit’s Mexicantown. Performances, music, puppet workshops, food, and fun family activities will all focus on water consciousness. 

A ghost water is any body of water that was buried in the name of human progress. Many of Detroit’s waterways were used as sewers and eventually buried, but hidden rivers still flow beneath the city. The project examines Detroit’s water history, its current water problems and their impact on the future. Ghost Waters aims to serve as a vehicle to foster a renewed sense of place in Detroit’s ecosystems. The importance of recycling, water-consciousness, sustainability, and the right of every human being to have access to clean, running water are some of the topics Ghost Waters will connect to, artistically and through community engagement. 

Ghost Waters will bring the cause of water consciousness to the U.S. Social Forum, held in Detroit June 22-26, with a Procession of the Species Parade, art activities for youth, and the Savoyard Creek’s River Resurgence Pageant - where all are invited to participate in creating puppets that depict the hidden Savoyard Creek, still located below Congress Street. 

Thanks in part to funds received from The Erb Family Foundation, The Kresge Community Arts Foundation, and The Skillman Foundation, Ghost Waters continues through summer 2012. 

At its start in early 2010, Matrix School of Theatre students began incorporating recycled puppets, environmental themes and education about the forgotten waters into their work, which was featured in a showcase on World Water Day, March 22. An April field trip to Humbug Marsh gave participants a hands-on look at what Detroit’s ecosystems used to look like. 

“We are at a pivot point with young people in terms of envisioning a new future for the city. And without some deeper knowledge about what the city is beneath its mantel of industrialism we cannot make an appropriate choice. People see outdoors not as nature, but as a negative - as dirty and bad. This was once a hyper-rich and productive ecosystem, and now there are 40 square-miles of vacant land in the city, but people still have trouble seeing a future,” said Dr. Shaun Nethercott, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Matrix. 

Ghost Waters is a project that requires the creativity and commitment of the community to succeed. Anyone seeking to get involved in field trips, parades, puppet building projects or events should contact Matrix Theatre Company’s Volunteer Coordinator Ken Srdjak at ksrdjak@matrixtheatre.org or at 313-967-0999.

Matrix Theatre Company is a non-profit community-based theatre located in Southwest Detroit. Established in 1991, Matrix creates everything from scratch, from puppets of all sizes to over 90 original plays. Matrix Theatre Company uses the transformative power of theatre to change lives, build community and foster social justice. It creates opportunities for children, youth, adults and elders, especially those in isolated or challenged communities, to become creators, producers and audiences of original theatre. For further information or to follow Matrix on Facebook, Twitter and Blogger, go to matrixtheatre.org.

Ghost Waters first field trip: Humbug Marsh! April 24 – Join Us!

Springtime has arrived in beautiful Southeast Michigan, and it’s time for the Ghost Waters field trips to start rolling! As you know, Ghost Waters is our new three-year-long project which will awaken water consciousness, eco-awareness and eco-education in the people of Detroit and involve the community in arts and nature projects which focus on Detroit’s water usage and environment preservation efforts.

Our first field trip for Ghost Waters will be to Humbug Marsh, located along the Detroit River, just off the intersection of West Jefferson and Vreeland out in Riverview. Humbug Marsh is a 410-acre marsh and upland habitat (which includes Humbug Island, just off the shoreline in the Detroit River), and is currently the only remaining natural coastline along the Detroit River in the United States. 

This exciting field trip will take place on Saturday, April 24, 2010, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. If you’re interested in joining us for this great experience, please RSVP to Ken Srdjak at 313-967-0999 or ksrdjak@matrixtheatre.org. Everyone is welcome, but space is limited!

At the end of 2004, the marshland was sold and put under the protection of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, which makes the marsh a protected habitat, preserved and maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Since then, extensive protection efforts have been put into place to keep Humbug Marsh and Humbug Island natural and flourishing. 

Humbug Marsh is also the site of an important and well-loved ghost water - Monguagon Creek. The creek was mainlined into Detroit’s underground water pipe system. However, in December 2009, the city announced that Monguagon Creek had been daylighted and returned to its state as an open-air creek. Daylighting Monguagon Creek will allow the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge to reclaim and recreate six acres of wetlands. The renewed wetlands are believed to help with storm runoff too! The larger land area will help absorb more excess rain water, which will then filter more water toxins before it runs off into the Detroit River. Daylighting the creek is key to the Ghost Waters project; by daylighting this and other ghost waters, we can get back to a more natural setting and develop a deeper relationship with water and all life forms around us.

We hope to work with you, the community members, and learn collaboratively about water use and commercialization, and how daylighting the ghost waters of Detroit brings us closer to a green world and to one another.

In order to learn together, our trip to Humbug Marsh will include educational experiences: we’ll be learning about the marsh, creek and forest habitats in the nature preserve which interact with one another and bring together a beautiful community of animals and insects, from frogs to birds to fish! We’ll also be making flag fish and puppets, playing games and telling stories. 

We also hope to film some video and take some photos to add to the Internet-based metro Detroit greenmap, as well as discuss the future of Ghost Waters and ways we can continue to bring to life Detroit’s green future! 

We hope to see you there! Happy Spring!

Ken Srdjak, Matrix's volunteerator and puppetista, can be contacted at 313-967-0999 or ksrdjak@matrixtheatre.org.

Spring semester starts today! It is not too late to sign up.

Spring semester classes run April 6 - May 15, 2010. Students will be continuing to engage in the Ghost Waters theme. It is not too late to sign up for classes. Call 313-967-0999 and as for Andrea. Check out our offerings below:

AGES 5-7

Performance 
Class: “Dance of The Water Cycle”
Instructor: Aisha Walker
Cost: $30*
Days/Times: Saturdays 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location: Matrix Theatre Company
Our youngest actors will be preparing a dance performance for Matrix’s WaterFest on May 15. WaterFest will see all School of Theatre participants joining together to present a new play, and Now PLAYing students will expose young children to kinesthetic (movement) memory as they take part in this all-agency play.

Puppetry 
Class: “Water Banners”
Instructor: Megan Harris
Cost: $45*
Days/Times: Saturdays 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Location: Matrix Theatre Company
Young puppeteers will be creating banners and backdrops for the WaterFest play on May 15th. Students will have an opportunity to build on beginning construction skills, and their visual creations will bed featured on stage during WaterFest.

*Students who take both Dance of the Water Cycle and Water Banners classes are eligible for a reduced fee of $60.

AGES 8-11

Performance 
Class: “People and the Water”
Instructor: Aisha Walker
Cost: FRE (Thanks to a generous grant from the Youth Development Commission)
Days/Times: Tuesdays/Thursdays 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Location: Roberto Clemente Rec Center
Students in this class will be preparing an integral section of the play to be performed at May 15th’s WaterFest. Focus will be on stage presentation and scenework.

Puppetry
Class: “Water Animals”
Instructor: Megan Harris
Cost: $45
Days/Times: Saturdays 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location: Matrix Theatre Company
Students will construct water animal puppets and learn to perform them in preparation for the May 15 WaterFest play.

AGES 11-14 

Mask-Making 
Class: “Water Sprite Masks”
Instructor: Jennifer Boyak
Cost: $45
Days/Times: Wednesdays 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Location: Matrix Theatre Company
Students will learn basic and intermediate skills in mask construction as they create masks for a Water Sprite dance to be performed at Matrix’s WaterFest.

Performance 
Class: “News From Waterville”
Instructor: Andrea Scobie
Cost: $60
Days/Times: Tuesdays/Thursdays 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Location: Matrix Theatre Company
Students in this class will be focusing on mastering acting skills for an encore performance of “News From Waterville,” which will be part of the all-agency play at WaterFest.

AGES 14-18

Performance, Mask-Making and Tech 
Class: “WaterFest Crew”
Instructor: Laura Perez
Cost: FREE (Thanks to a generous grant from the Skillman Foundation)
Days/Times: Fridays 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Location: Matrix Theatre Company
Teens will be doing some of everything as they form teams that will be integral to the production of the WaterFest play. They will learn performance, mask-making, and technical theatre skills, which will all be put to use in their role as actors and crew during WaterFest on May 15.

Ghost Waters project begins with World Water Day

Monday March 22, 2010, marked World Water Day, and an exceptional event put on by Matrix Theatre Company with support from the People’s Water Board and Detroit Evolution. Matrix and their allies brought World Water Day to life for the community of Southwest Detroit. The event served not only as the showcase for the Matrix School of Theatre's winter semester, but also the kickoff event of Ghost Waters, Matrix Theatre’s new three-year project about water consciousness and the hidden and buried rivers of Detroit.

The event was held at St. Anne’s Parish Hall, and brought together a diverse gathering of Southwest Detroit to rejoice in community building and the valuable resource that is our water.

Ghost Waters, which began in January 2010, is an eco-awareness and eco-education community arts program which will include field trips to various sites throughout the Detroit area, involvement in different social justice and community events, puppet-building and showcasing and street theatre performances. 

The event began with a showing of posters from the water awareness poster contest and an exceptionally delicious dinner provided Detroit Evolution's Corktown Community Kitchen, who help bring local, healthy food to the city of Detroit, Avalon Bread and the Matrix staff. The opening libations ceremony was performed by Charity Hicks of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, and set the uplifting and hopeful mood for the remainder of the evening. We had fantastic, beautiful performances from the Living on Stage and Playwriting Is… classes, as well as an excellent presentation and performance of the students’ new puppets, created for the Ghost Waters’ Water Stories performance. A water dance was then followed by a showcasing of the recycled puppets.

We also had a number of theatre performances, all focusing on water awareness and eco-education - a great beginning for Ghost Waters! Performances included Lesson Learned, The Water Cycle, and News from Waterville. In addition to these, Jen Boyak showcased the Spirit of the Water Masks, with performances of The Moon’s Power and Friends at the Beach written by Rosario De La Cruz-Martin.

Overall, the event was a fantastic success with amazing local food, beautiful art, exceptional performances. and a great hope for the state of water use and awareness in Detroit.

You can become involved with Ghost Waters by contacting Ken Srdjak at 313-967-0999 or ksrdjak@matrixtheatre.org. Come and be a part of the workshops, field trips and fetivals.

See more pictures of the event here.

This post was written by Jenn Vanaman, who is a student intern from University of Michigan School of Social Work.